*2022 Review
Photo Credit: Ryan Brutt
2022 MCACN Wings Over America Invitational...after dark
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MCACN 2022 IS IN THE BOOKS; ANOTHER GREAT EVENT!
While Thanksgiving and the holidays allow us some time to reflect, we'd like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere Thanks for another awesome Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals event. I say "event" because this has become much more than just a car show. For many, (myself included) it is a reunion of sorts for so many of us. Friendships are renewed and many are established, as MCACN really is "The Great Equalizer". With such a diverse variety of makes, models and personalities, it is fun to see so many come together under one roof and share the passion we all have. Yes...the cars bring us together but it's the awesome people that make it what it is!
JoEllen Baldo and Doug Bergdahl Taking Pics
Photo Credit: Ryan Brutt
This year we again sold out every aspect of the show, and in most cases well in advance. Our Special and Invitational displays for the most part were in place by April and were they ever over the top! I am proud and humbled by what we were able to host. Of course there were many $1m+ cars in the building, but we also had plenty that may not have been the most valuable, but certainly made us reflect and relive some great memories. Our Malaise Era Muscle Invitational was a huge hit, and while these cars may not have had the most horsepower, they certainly were a lot of fun. Entering the show floor and seeing the "Hellucination" , the King Kong Hemi and the LeMans Cunningham Corvette along with the Chevelle and the Mustang Unveiling cars certainly set the tone! And with the vast array of Premier Unveilings non stop for the first several hours, we saw tears, high-fives and plenty of hugs. And that is what it's all about. Thanks go out to everyone that invited the many people that had past involvement, from original owners to family members, many who had not seen or even heard about these cars for decades.
While we will never be the place to see wrestlers, sports stars or other non automotive celebrities, the special guests that joined us were truly outstanding. Chuck Cantwell of Shelby Automotive shared so many stories, as did the many Legends of Super Stock gentlemen. Courtney Hansen had a blast, with great news about her new show and the many things she has going on. It was neat to have Ralph Gilles with us with his incredible carbon-fiber '68 Charger "Hellucination" and fun to see Joe Zolper hanging out with many of his fans. While the cars will always be the stars, it sure is fun having these awesome folks with us!
Photo Credit: Diane Warner
Perhaps what put the biggest smile on my face was the new MCACN Kids Judging Program. To say our team took things to a new level is a major understatement! With nearly two-dozen young enthusiasts participating ranging in age from 8 years old to 16, and car owners that jumped in and made sure each and every kid had fun, it was over the top. THANK YOU! Gary Kozlowski and his awesome son Krzysztof took the helm along with MCACN staff members Sammi and Jake. This is a prime example of MCACN team members truly taking ownership and allowing us to raise the bar! The feedback has been overwhelming and quite honestly, pretty humbling. Look for this to get even better every year and if you have or know of any kids that may even have a slight interest, please plan on joining us for this in 2023.
2023 and beyond: MCACN is a 24/7, 365 days a year job for Vicki and myself and we have been working on things for 2023 (and even 2024!) for months already. Of course, we will again celebrate Anniversaries with the years of 1968 and 1973. '68 was a HUGE year for factory muscle, with the new G.M. A-Bodies, the Mopar B-Bodies and of course, the all new Corvette to name a few. Of course, '73 brought the Super Duty Trans Ams and Firebirds, so we want to see a variety of those! Returning special displays include the ever popular Barn Finds & Hidden Gems, Vintage Certification and the Kool Muscle Bicycle and Mini-Bike displays.
Ford and Mercury take the Red Carpet: While the Mopars had the brightest spotlight in 2022, it is Ford and Mercury that come up in our three-year cycle of rotating brands. Bob Perkins will host a stellar display that features the Boss's of 1969, 1970, 1971 and YES; 1972! (more on that later). And here is an interesting note; did you know it wasn't just Mustangs that received Boss engines under the hood? Stay tuned...Several additional Ford and Mercury displays are also in the works. Marty Burke from Texas will be heading up a very special group of 69-70 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jets and you know he knows where the good ones are! For our Malaise Era enthusiasts, we have a King Cobra display that will absolutely blow you away.
Speaking of Malaise Era Muscle: With the incredible positive feedback we received on our groundbreaking Malaise Era Muscle Invitational display, for 2023 we will focus on the General Motors Colonnade style cars of 73-77. This includes the Buick G.S.'s, the Chevelles and Laguna's, the Hurts/Olds of this era and more. If you own a prime example, please consider joining us!
BIG Body Muscle; Another special display that garnered nothing but positive feedback. So for 2023, we will highlight the Chevrolet Impala, with a "timeline" special display Presented by Bill Stasek Chevrolet that will have prime examples of performance oriented Impalas from 1958-on up. Do you own one? Let's hear about it!
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what we are working on for 2023. If you have an idea for a Special or Invitational display and would like to get involved, please email me at bashton426@gmail.com. Understand that hosting these displays is a LOT of work, between the many calls, emails and recruiting efforts. But the the end result when you can stand back and see the big smiles and hear all the stories makes it all worthwhile. Even just an idea for a special display is welcome.
Midnight Golf Cart Tour of MCACN 2022
Barn Finds Invitational
Photo Credit: Ryan Brutt
I often say I could go on and on, (and I often do!) suffice it to say the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals are operating at Fever Pitch and the future looks bright.
I'll close by saying that we could never do any of this without the incredible dedication of our staff. While every member plays a key role in the end results, whether taking tickets, managing the offices, coordinating labor issues, handling traffic control; or what is definitely the hardest and least rewarding, working the outside traffic control, trailer parking and marshalling lot duties. We salute you, one and all.
Thanks again and be safe, happy and healthy!
Bob Ashton
MCACN, LLC
Managing Member
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